National High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - Aug. 25

That was fun, right? The third week of high school football action is in the books and several more national powers took to the field, especially in the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase down in Fort Lauderdale.

Folks got to see some of the nation’s top programs square off and decide on the field who can stake the claim to the early road towards a mythical national championship.

Below are the top 25 teams in high school football, according to the Massey Ratings, as of Aug. 25.

1. Mater Dei (Calif.) (1-0)

Turn up the heat and humidity they say.

Mater Dei turned it up all on full blast as they used a sizzling first half to just edge out St. Thomas Aquinas, 26-23, at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase last week. If the Monarchs weren’t plagued by penalty flags in the second half, the end result might’ve been much worse.

The Monarchs received huge offense performances from Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins (13 of 23, 282 yards) and five-star Ohio State verbal Chris Henry Jr. (four catches, 135 yards). One has to wonder which Mater Dei should they be judged on, the first or second half version?

We tend to lean to the first half version as that one looked almost undoubtedly the best overall team in the country.

2. Duncanville (Texas) (0-0)

Duncanville lost a handful of starters on both sides of the football from last season’s team, but the Panthers bring back more than enough to warrant a spot among the nation’s elite teams.

Having a defense that can stuff just about anything right back in your face is a massive luxury. That’s exactly what Duncanville will be able to do to most opponents on Friday nights. Coming off the edges are a pair of four-stars in Kevin Ford and Landon Barnes that combined for 28.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2024.

The biggest question surrounding the team will be who is in line to replace Alabama freshman Keelon Russell at quarterback. It will likely come down to last year’s backup, rising senior J’Coryon Rivers or junior standout Maximus The Great Denson.

3. St. Frances Academy (Md.) (1-0)

We said last week that St. Frances Academy could make the argument to be a tad higher in the high school football rankings. Well, consider challenge accepted and for some cases, accomplished after one national stage matchup.

Behind strong rushing performances from Virginia commit Jae’Oyn Williams and 2027 running back Sa’Nir Brooks, the Panthers cruised past No. 12-ranked Chaminade-Madonna Prep at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase Saturday night.

What was also on full display for all on a nationally televised game was St. Frances Academy’s defense, led by five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, who is staying in the Terrapin State with his commitment to Maryland. Also flying around on defense was Alabama five-star safety commit Jireh Edwards and four-star corners Hakim Satterwhite and Raylaun Henry.

The Panthers take a week off before facing the No. 8-ranked St. John Bosco on Sept. 5.

4. North Crowley (Texas) (0-0)

The defending Class 6A Division I state champions are plenty capable of repeating thanks to the talent they bring back across the board. North Crowley’s secondary, in particular, may be one of the best in the state. Senior safety Aaron Bradshaw, a Texas Tech commit leads the way along with junior cornerback Jerry Outhouse.

Four-star offensive lineman John Turntine anchors a stout Panthers front that will look to push people around this fall. Four-star tight end Jeramie Cooper will likely be one of the team’s top targets in the passing game.

5. DeSoto Eagles (Texas) (0-0)

DeSoto is one of the most decorated high school football programs in Texas, but the Eagles are coming off of a bit of a roller coaster 2024 campaign.

A 57-51 loss to eventual state champion North Crowley toward the beginning of the season was the first of three decisions that didn’t go the DeSoto’s way. Now the team is looking to rebound from last year’s 11-3 campaign and make another state title run.

The Eagles’ roster is headlined by four-star wide receiver Boobie Feaster, a USC pledge, who hauled in 57 passes for 824 yards and scored 13 times in 2024.

6. North Shore Mustangs (Texas) (0-0)

North Shore saw its 2024 season come to an end in the state semifinals with a 35-10 loss to eventual state runner-up Westlake. While the Eagles fell just short of their goal last season, there’s optimism they can be right back where they want to be come December.

A lot of that plays into that they are one of the few elite Texas teams that return an experienced quarterback. Senior Kaleb Maryland will take the helm of the North Shore offense after throwing for nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns last fall in relief of 2024 starter Kaleb Bailey.

The Mustangs will start the season Aug. 29 against South Oak Cliff on the road.

7. Buford (Ga.) (2-0)

It looked like Buford might be in for a challenge when they traveled over to Savannah to take on the  Benedictine Military School Cadets last Friday.

Instead, in turned into utter domination by the Wolves as they improved to 2-0 on the season in a 42-14 defeat of the Cadets. What’s fairly obvious after a couple games is Buford is establishing themselves as a serious contender to Grayson for the GHSA’s Class 6A throne early on.

The Wolves continue to feature one of the top defensive front seven’s in the Peach State, featuring four-star edge rushers Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) and Dre Quinn (Clemson) along with four-star safety Tyriq Green (Georgia). Through two games, the defense has yielding just 27 points and has intercepted three passes on the back end.

The Wolves will take a bye week before turning home to Phillip Beard Stadium where they’ll host Roswell.

8. St. John Bosco (Calif.) (1-0)

St. John Bosco time spent at the Tampa Bay Rays’ game on Thursday night ahead of this past Friday’s game against the Manatee was likely longer then the time they spent on the field with the Hurricanes.

Sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu looked right at home in Florida, throwing for 121 yards and three touchdowns in St. John Bosco’s 31-0 victory. Madden Williams (Texas A&M) finished with three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Braves moved into Week 2 of play when they welcome Eastwood into town ahead of a national showdown against St. Frances Academy on Sep. 5.

9. IMG Academy (Fla.) (2-0)

So much for any first-year jitters for IMG Academy head coach Greg Studrawa.

The former Ohio State offensive line coach has fit right in on the high school level and led the Ascenders to back-to-back victories against The First Academy, in a kickoff classic, and a 34-13 victory over Hoover (Ala.).

What has been impressive for Florida’s top team is the way they’ve dominated teams in the trenches. The Ascenders owned the line of scrimmage against both the Royals and Buccaneers. Leading the offensive charge through two games is 6-foot-2, 225-pound Louisville commit Lekhy Thompkins, who scored multiple touchdowns against Hoover.

The road ahead for Studrawa’s squad doesn’t get any easier, however, as IMG Academy will fly up to South Jersey to Ocean City and face Winslow Township in the Battle at the Beach Classic.

10. Southlake Carroll (Texas) (0-0)

The Dragons have a plethora of talent returning for this upcoming season, making them arguably the favorites to win it all in Texas’ UIL Class 6A, Division 2.

It’s a quarterback-driven sport these days in high school football and Southlake Carroll has a good one in Angelo Renda, who’s already committed to Pittsburgh. Renda threw for 3,901 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2024 and has his top target back in the fold in Ohio State commit Brock Boyd.

When we said this offense is loaded, we meant it. Next to Boyd is 2027 wide receiver Brody Knowles, who hauled in 37 passes for 539 yards and eight touchdowns. Alongside Renda in the backfield will be senior multi-purpose back Davis Penn, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and scored 18 times in 2024.

High School Football Rankings: Nos. 11 – 25

11. Bixby (Oklahoma) (0-0)
12. Summer Creek (Texas) (0-0)
13. Grayson (Ga.) (2-0)
14. Orange Lutheran (Calif.) (1-0)
15. Centennial (Calif.) (1-0)

16. Thompson (Alabama) (1-0)
17. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) (1-0)
18. Corner Canyon (Utah) (2-0)
19. Westlake (Texas) (0-0)
20. Mission Viejo (Calif.) (1-0)

21. Brownsburg (Ind.) (1-0)
22. Atascocita (Texas) (0-0)
23. Carrollton (Ga.) (2-0)
24. Allen (Texas) (0-0)
25. Bryant (Ark.) (0-0)

How to Follow National High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.